Murray Makes Panthers Work On Mistakes

PANTHERS

December 11, 1998|By MICHAEL RUSSO and Staff Writer

SUNRISE — Since the weekend, coach Terry Murray had planned to give the Panthers Thursday off, their first day away from work since Nov. 29.

That day off seemed a certainty when the Panthers scored four power-play goals on a five-minute major in the first period Wednesday night against Ottawa. But some careless mistakes and lapses in simple fundamentals turned the game around to the point where a day off was all but forgotten the second the Senators tied the game 5-5.

The Panthers won 6-5, but Murray gathered the team anyway on Thursday morning to make it clear that he was not happy with the way they blew the lead.

"The reason for this today is we know we're not pleased with what happened Wednesday night]," Murray said. "You know darn well that whenever you get a power play as long as we got, the other team is going to get their chances. We have to make sure we're doing everything on our part not to give the ref the opportunity to make calls."

But after taking a 4-0 lead, Scott Mellanby took a cross-checking penalty that caused Ray Whitney's first goal to be wiped out. Then, Terry Carkner high-sticked Shawn McEachern a minute later, and McEachern capitalized on the ensuing two-man advantage.

"We didn't show the composure in the heat of the moment," Murray said. "Then, as they get a goal, we started to do things out of the ordinary for us. The little passes, the turnovers high in the offensive zone, the plays in the midzone that really creates problems for us, not dumping the puck in deep enough. Those are the things that we have to get straightened out. We have to bring attention to it by talking about it."

So Murray made the Panthers work Thursday. Eleven players who either didn't log a lot of ice time against Ottawa or who are youngsters skated, while the other 13 players went through off-ice conditioning.

"We're here to work because we need to," goalie Sean Burke said. "Everybody accepts that. You know as a player when you deserve time off and when you don't. As a team, I'm sure we don't feel right now like a day off is something we deserve."

The Panthers will meet before practice this morning for a meeting and video session to highlight the good, the bad and the ugly from Wednesday's game.

"I hope that the overall combination of meetings and practices and attention to it is going to correct it," Murray said. "I think the tape session will be key because we'll see a lot of the little things that are making the difference in the game.

"We fail to execute the proper way on a consistent basis, and that's why the end result is what it is. For us right now, fundamentals are such an important part of the game, so whenever a mistake happens, it is costing us. We just have to play hockey the right way because we continue to beat ourselves."

It had been the power play that has hurt the Panthers. But it has been the power play that has bailed them out recently.

After scoring two power-play goals in their first nine home games, the Panthers have scored 10 in the past three games at National Car Rental Center. With the help of five power-play goals against the Senators, the Panthers' power play on home ice improved from 23rd to 10th in a span of one game.

But if the Panthers want a day off after Saturday's game against Calgary, they need to come out with a complete effort.

"I think we blew it by having a bad practice the day after our last day off," left wing Bill Lindsay said. "Terry wants hard work. He wants us to come to the rink every day ready to play, and until we learn that we might not get a little break here for awhile."

Burke struggles

Maybe Burke's 3.71 goals-against average and .865 save percentage over his past six starts would be quality numbers in the early-'80s, but not in the late-'90s, when most games end 2-1 and 3-2.

Burke has struggled recently, allowing five goals in three of his past five starts, and four or more in four of his past six.

"Obviously I feel like I've given up too many goals, but after a game like last night when you get the win, I think sometimes you have to look at the positive of that," Burke said. "I gave up five goals. I wasn't happy about that, but it was a win.

"Definitely I feel I have to cut my goals down, for sure. It's just not acceptable. I can't make the team have to score five or six every night to win."